I'd arrest you if I had handcuffs
I'd arrest you if I had the time
I'd throw you down in the back seat
As if you'd committed a terrible crime

I'd break in a town's worth of houses
And rob whole families blind
I'd do it to you like you do it to me
If you knew you would get away fine

I'd drown all these crying babies
If I knew that their mothers wouldn't cry
I'd hold them down and I'd squeeze real soft
To let a piece of myself die

It's hard to be the better man
When you forget you're trying
It's hard to be the better man

I'd arrest you if I had handcuffs
I'd arrest you if I had time
I'd wait for you outside the courtroom
Taunting when all your appeals were declined

I'd drive my car off of a bridge
If I knew that you weren't inside
With a pedal to the floor who could ask for more
A fantastic way to kill some time

And you could lay on your back and be beaten
You could put up your fists and fight
You could try and be way up
Way up, way up, way up
Way up, way up, way up

It's hard be the better man
When you forget you're trying
It's hard to be the better man
When you're still lying

It's hard to be the better man
When you forget you're trying
It's hard to be the better man
When you're still lying, you're still lying


Lyrics submitted by prayingmantis84, edited by toadling17, contraddiction

Handcuffs Lyrics as written by Vincent Accardi

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

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Handcuffs song meanings
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  • +6
    General Comment

    While I think there is a battle here about being a better man vs seeking one's own justice the song speaks completely to the former does it not? It's hard to be a better man... one who hopes for a what goes around comes around... when you aren't trying/lying to yourself.

    What is stopping him from drowning babies? making arrests? Humanity? laziness? I think it is healty to question why being a better man is important. Why try and figure out why a baby is crying instead of drowning it (like several parents actually do). It seems like here, however, being a better man feels more like lying to yourself, or if you forget you are trying then you probably don't know why it is a good idea. And maybe sometimes it isn't.

    And imagine what would happen if you drowned those babies... .that piece of you that dies... is that piece of you that represents morality, good will, humanity. Your humanity would die, but what if you know there were no reprocussions. What if jail didn't exist? Does't that make morality pretty suggestive?

    maliciousintenton July 23, 2007   Link

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